The relics of St. Nicholas transferred to the temporary storage of the ROC
BARI (Italy), may 21 — RIA Novosti. Russian Orthodox and Roman Catholic Church signed a special agreement on the temporary transfer of part of the relics of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, which will go to Russia.
The signature under the document was signed by head of the Department for external Church relations of the Moscow Patriarchate Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk and Archbishop of Bari, Francesco’s Cacucci.
Before that part of the relics of the left edge of the Saint — invested in the big the ark was closed for a special lock and put surgucheva print. The relic is kept behind armored glass, so it can be a good look. The fact that in the crypt of the Basilica of St. Nicholas remains are bricked up in the tomb under a marble slab weighing 32 tons and not available for review.
The transfer of the Shrine was preceded by a Liturgy which Metropolitan Hilarion, co-served by clergy of the Russian Orthodox Church. Part of the relics, which will go to Moscow, brought to the altar of the crypt of the Basilica, where there is service. The Church was filled with numerous believers from Russia, as well as residents of the city of Bari.
“Today, our entire Russian people froze in anticipation of the Shrine,” said Metropolitan Hilarion.
The ceremony was preceded by a prayer in Church Slavonic and Italian. Read Metropolitan Hilarion and Archbishop Francesco.